The 3-Day CrossFit WOD Program for Spartans

CrossFit and Spartan share a few striking commonalities: rope climbs, heavy carries, tire flips, cross training, Atlas stones, and the list goes on. Because of this parallel, many athletes use CrossFit WODs to prepare for their races.

“You probably don’t have a race course in your backyard, but there are some ways to improve your fundamentals in a logical progression,” says Carl Chu, NASM CPT, a CrossFit L2 trainer at Shoreline CrossFit in Branford, Connecticut. Chu designed this three-day schedule to improve your pushing, pulling, and endurance capacity, while also training your anaerobic system for explosive quickness and building an iron-clad core.

First, he recommends a little self-analysis. “How did you do in your last Spartan race—where were you deficient? Did you get caught up on certain obstacles? Were you gassed halfway through?” he asks. “Once you identify your trip-ups, you can program your training to strengthen those weaknesses and improve your overall performance.”

This three-day CrossFit program comprises all the skills Spartan racers need—and then some—to improve performance across the board. Try these cross training workouts for a month before your next race and see how your time improves. If you’re not quite ready for these workouts, prep your body with ourGet Back in Shape training plan.

Day 1

This WOD hones in on your pulling skills, improving performance on obstacles like the rope climb and the Herc Hoist while challenging your aerobic capacity and recovery with 800-meter repeats. Cross training with both strength and cardio exercises from CrossFit will drastically improve your Spartan Race finish.

Perform each alphabetically lettered pair as a couplet, completing all sets and reps/time on one letter before moving to the next.

Exercise Descriptions

A1: Rope hang: Grip a rope at eye level with your elbows bent 90 degrees. Lift your feet off the floor and hang for time.
A2: Sled pull: Sit on the floor and pull the sled toward you hand-over-hand with a rope. Use a moderate to heavy load.
B1: Find a 4- to 6- foot wall or similar height object (such as a bench). Do a burpee next to the wall, then stand and climb over it quickly. Drop to the other side and repeat.
B2: Using a short, steep hill, perform your three sprints. Rest as needed between sets.
C: Run 800 meters and time yourself. Rest half that recorded time, then repeat.

Day 2

This CrossFit WOD works on grip and core strength to improve your carrying potential on things like the Bucket Carry and Olympus, as well as lower body explosive power and anaerobic capacity for tire flips and wall climbs. In this workout, cross training includes everything you’ll need to succeed in your next Spartan.

A1: Hug a heavy sandbag to your chest for time. A2: Hold a heavy kettlebell or dumbbell in one hand and walk for 30 seconds. Switch hands and repeat to complete one set.B1: Every minute, on the minute, perform three tire flips using a moderate or heavy tire. Rest the remaining time.C: Using some flat turf or a track with a straightaway, run 100-meter repeats, all out. Rest as needed.

Day 3

This simple WOD trains endurance, which is essential for all Spartan races. Find a trail which offers varying terrain on which you can run continuously for one to three miles. “You can add in some accessory moves to train elements of your performance you feel need more work,” says Chu.

A1: Trail Run 1 to 3 miles

Optional Accessory Moves

Integrate these into your workouts to get more upper or lower body work.

Lower Body

5 Tempo deadlifts @30 X 1

Exercise Description

Take three seconds to lower to the floor, hold one second at the bottom, explode up and hold for one second at the top. Use moderate weight.

Upper Body

A2: Place your feet on a box so when you hold the rings with your arms at full extension so your body is either in a straight line, or your feet are higher than your head.

Want More? Meet the Girls

“Any of the original girl-named CrossFit benchmark workouts have great couplings, are relatively simple in concept and improve aerobic and anaerobic systems,” says Chu. Here is a five-WOD Spartan-centric sampling of these deceptively difficult workouts. Cross your fitness by cross training with these awesome workouts.